Caring for your baby’s teeth

It can be hard to know what’s best for baby teeth care. But if you want to prevent decay and cavities, while also establishing good dental hygiene habits that will last a lifetime, the sooner you establish a daily care routine, the better

When should you start brushing your baby’s teeth?

The answer really depends on whether your baby has any teeth. Although most babies will develop teeth at some point in the first year of life, around one in every 2,000 babies are born with one or more “natal” teeth, while an even tinier proportion will develop “neonatal” teeth in the first month of life.(1,2)

Baby’s first teeth, the so-called “milk teeth”, begin forming in the second trimester of pregnancy; in fact, even though you might not see them, your baby is likely to have twenty teeth ready to come through at birth. As soon as the first of these push through you should start brushing twice a day. However, even before the emergence of these first teeth, it is a good idea to get into the routine of maintaining your baby’s oral hygiene.

In fact, some people begin cleaning their baby’s gums before teeth come through, so that baby is used to the attention on their mouth. Use a piece of clean gauze dipped in clean water and gently rub babies gums.

Tips for brushing your baby’s teeth

You should begin brushing baby teeth as soon as they appear. Brush twice a day; once before bed and once at another time in the day.

Use a small, soft-bristled brush with just a very small smear of children’s fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride.(3)
Do the brushing yourself when your baby is young.
Supervise the brushing when your baby is older (children will need supervising until they are eight or nine years old)
Brush all around the tooth, including where the teeth meet the gums.
Make sure your baby doesn’t swallow the toothpaste or indeed eat or taste it directly from the tube.
Teach your child to spit away the toothpaste left over after brushing.
Never rinse with water (keeping residues of the toothpaste will help your baby’s teeth to be protected by fluoride).
Find a comfortable position for toothbrushing – for example, with your baby on your lap or with you standing behind your child in front of a mirror.

Check your child’s teeth every month

The mouth, teeth and gums can be something of a mystery, with problems such as decay frequently not discovered until it is too late. So, it’s a good idea to lift your baby’s top lip once a month to look inside their mouth for signs of tooth decay (holes) or any other problems, such as teeth coming through not straight. If you spot anything concerning, you should book an appointment with your dentist.

Eat and drink for healthy teeth

Eating and drinking healthily is an essential part of keeping your baby’s teeth and gums in good condition. This means that you should minimise their intake of sugary foods and should only ever give your child either very low sugar or sugar-free snacks between their meals. Avoid sugary carbonated drinks altogether and try to limit the intake of fruit juices – ideally, these should only be occasional treats and even then only at mealtimes. Water is a baby’s best source of fluid, although drinking milk can also be good for dental health.

Avoid giving your baby a bottle at bedtime. This is because falling asleep with a bottle of milk can encourage tooth decay(4). If you feel that your baby will sleep better when it has something to suck, try giving it a pacifier (dummy) at bedtime.

Your baby’s toothbrush

You should use a soft-bristled brush with a small head for brushing baby teeth. You will need to keep it as clean as possible; rinse it well after use and should store it upright in an open cup or container so that it dries between brushes. Although you should, in theory, aim to replace your toothbrush and your baby’s toothbrush every three to four months, the reality is that many babies can’t help but chew on their toothbrush so it may become worn or frayed and need replacing sooner than that.

Do baby teeth matter?

There is sometimes a misconception that because milk teeth will be replaced with permanent adult teeth within ten years or so, they do not matter, but milk teeth are essential to early chewing, eating, speaking, smiling and self-confidence. Furthermore, they help to “reserve” space in the mouth for the emergence of adult teeth. And decaying milk teeth could ultimately damage the adult teeth waiting to come through.

Taking your baby to the dentist

In the UK, taking your baby to an NHS dentist is completely free of charge. You should book your baby’s first dentist appointment around the time the first milk teeth emerge. In all likelihood, the dentist will not do anything more than have a brief look inside your baby’s mouth and offer you some useful advice.

In general, the first visits to the dentist are mainly about getting baby used to the experience of visiting the dental surgery; it’s largely about building positive associations for future visits.

Is fluoride safe for babies?

As long as it is not given in excessive amounts, the fluoride in fluoride toothpaste is safe for your baby and is an effective way of preventing tooth decay. The NHS recommends that children under three brush twice a day with a small amount of toothpaste containing at least 1,000ppm fluoride. While children aged between 3 and 6 can brush with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing more than 1,000ppm fluoride.(3)

References

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/baby-born-with-teeth
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3467875/
3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/
4. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/dental-baby-bottle-tooth-decay